Bierhoff: Almost impossible for Germany to win World Cup 2014

Featured

Related Stories

By Miles Chambers

The DFB chief has major doubts as to whether any European nation can win the tournament in Brazil next summer as South American sides historically dominate their own continent.

Oliver Bierhoff believes it is "almost impossible" for Germany to win World Cup 2014 because European teams are at a disadvantage when playing in South America.

The FIFA tournament has been held in the continent four times since its first iteration - 1930, 1950, 1962 and 1978 - and on each occasion either Uruguay, Brazil or Argentina has finished on top.

The World Cup is returning to South America next year for the first time in 36 years, and the DFB team manager is extremely doubtful that his nation will reclaim the title it has not won since West Germany secured victory in 1990.

"For us, it is almost impossible to win the tournament," Bierhoff said in a press conference ahead of the nation's clash with Kazakhstan on Tuesday night. "It is a really big mountain [to climb]. The South American sides are usually more advanced [in their own continent]."

However Bierhoff is confident that Joachim Low's side has enough nous to progress in its World Cup qualification group, though he dismissed suggestions the FA is planning logistics for next summer's tournament already.

"We are not planning where we will stay in Brazil because we do not know which group we will play in," Bierhoff continued. "But it would not be in the extreme north or south of Brazil."

The Euro 1996 champion currently tops Group C on 13 points, five points ahead of second-place Sweden.

The only nation to have a guaranteed place in the 2014 finals it host Brazil, but other nations will start securing spots in the latter half of 2013.

UEFA has 13 places up for grabs, with each group winner qualifying for next summer's tournament and the eight best runners-up competing for four playoff chances to play in South America.

Spain became the first European nation to win the World Cup outside of the continent three years ago, but is at risk of missing automatic qualification if it loses to France on Tuesday night.